Want Better Results From Your Third-Party Vendors? Commit to a Process

The smooth flow of the process between hospital staff and early out vendors is extremely important when it comes to self-pay accounts. When a hospital opts to outsource their patient accounts and billing to a third party vendor, a healthy balance between the vendor and the hospital’s accounts department and IT team must be created. Typically, the vendor has their unique way of implementing services which may not sync with the hospital employees’ protocol. So if you want better results from your third party vendor, harmony and cooperation must be achieved. Otherwise things stop working and the communication between the vendor and the hospital (as well as the system as a whole) breaks down.

Tips for Creating a Smooth Transition

Many vendors will refuse to even step in and assist until a hospital commits to putting a rewarding infrastructure in place to ensure success. Here a are a few tips to help create a smooth transition that is beneficial for both the hospital and the vendor.

Foster all around support

Support must be well rounded and complete. This means support at the very entry level all the way up. Trust must be provided to the vendor to help guarantee success.

Achieve a future vision agreement

Both parties need to agree on future pathways to guarantee success. The healthcare industry’s future is variable, so there must be one pathway insight whether it is value-based or fee-for-service payment models. The vendor and the hospital must agree on the road to the future. The fundamental pathway needs to be laid out and clearly outlined before the vendor and the hospital staff join forces.

Create respect and mutual like between all parties

When a vendor enters the scene it is natural for hospital employees to often feel threatened or like they are facing a complete takeover. Such a situation can breed contempt and an attitude of rebellion. Before advancing with a vendor, a mutual respect and genuine feelings of likeability but be fostered to create an easy transition. Never underestimate the need for both parties to genuinely respect and like each other. The health IT team is a transformative stage of health care and a key core.The vendor will control the reins of the teams and steer. In such a situation, all parties involved must show consideration and a mutual courtesy to work together to achieve an end goal.

Be totally committed

Both parties must remain committed to their mutual goals. If the two parties do not remain committed then the entire process will break down and fall apart.

Don’t play the blame game

Each party involved needs to realize that they are working as a team now and that means that they mutually share the blame for any successes or failures. Pointing fingers and blaming the different parties or workers involved causes a complete breakdown of the system and ultimately creates discord that breeds contempt. When success is gained both parties reap the benefits but when a failure occurs both share the burden equally.

At The Midland Group, our team of professionals is dedicated to stepping in and achieving account resolution success. However, we understand the need for any hospital to put an infrastructure in place before we can get started. We are willing to work between IT and employees to create a successful relationship for both parties involved. We want both organizations to win equally when we join forces.